Itchy bites in a line on your arm, tiny dark spots on the mattress seam. Bed bugs are miserable, but they're very treatable if it's done thoroughly and followed up.
Bed bugs are treated in two rounds. The first visit treats the beds, bases, headboards and every crack and seam within a few metres of where people sleep. The second, about two weeks later, catches the young that hatch from eggs the first treatment couldn't reach. Skip the second round and you'll very likely see them again within a month. Bed bugs aren't a sign of a dirty house. They travel in luggage, handbags, second-hand furniture and on public transport, and they're as happy in a five-star suite as anywhere else.
We treat bed bugs in homes, guest houses, B&Bs, backpackers, holiday rentals and staff accommodation from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay.
Signs of bed bugs
- Itchy bites in rows or clusters, often on arms, neck and shoulders, that appear overnight
- Small black or brown spots on mattress seams, sheets and the bed base. That's their droppings, and it smears like ink when wet
- Tiny pale eggs and shed skins in the seams, along the piping and behind the headboard
- Rusty blood spots on the sheets
- In a bad infestation, a sweetish, musty smell in the room
- The bugs themselves: flat, oval, reddish brown, about the size of an apple pip. See our bed bug profile for photos
Not everyone reacts to the bites, so in a shared room one person may be covered and the other untouched.
Bites, but no bugs?
Not every row of bites in the morning is bed bugs. Fleas bite mostly on the ankles and lower legs. Bird mites come down from a nest in the roof and bite at night. Mosquitoes leave scattered bites on whatever was outside the sheet. Before treating, we look for proof: the bugs themselves, eggs, shed skins or the ink-like spots on the mattress seams. If none of that is there, we'll say so and help you work out what else it could be, rather than treat a room for an insect that isn't there.
How we treat bed bugs
- Inspection We check the bed, base, headboard, bedside tables, skirtings, curtain folds, plug points and any upholstered furniture in the room, and the rooms next door. In a guest house that means the rooms either side and across the passage too.
- First treatment Mattress seams, bases, bed frames, headboards, skirting boards, cracks and furniture joints are treated with products registered for bed bugs. The aim is to reach every place a bug can hide within a few metres of the bed.
- Follow-up treatment About two weeks later, we come back to treat young bugs that have hatched from eggs. This is the step that actually finishes the job.
- Check We look for fresh signs on the follow-up and tell you honestly whether anything else is needed, like replacing a base that is too badly infested.
How to get the room ready
- Strip the beds and wash all bedding, pillowcases and curtains from the room on the hottest wash the fabric allows, then tumble-dry on high. Heat kills every stage, eggs included
- Put washed items in sealed bags until after the treatment
- Clear the floor around the beds and empty the bedside drawers, so we can reach the joints and skirtings
- Don't move furniture or bedding to another room before we come. That's how bed bugs spread through a house
- Don't throw the mattress out unless we say so. Most can be treated, and carrying an infested one through the house spreads the problem
Guest houses and holiday rentals
A guest who finds bed bugs leaves a review, and that review stays online for years. Guest houses do best with a quick response and a clear plan: close the room, treat it and the rooms around it, and check the rest of the house. If you run several rooms or a busy rental in Plett or Knysna, a pre-season inspection is worth considering. We cover that under holiday home pest control and, for larger operations, commercial pest control.
We have local bed bug pages for George, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and Mossel Bay.
Don't do this
Store-bought bug bombs and foggers don't reach into mattress seams and wall cracks, and they push bed bugs into other rooms. Sleeping on the couch to avoid them has the same effect: they follow the person. And spraying the mattress with anything not registered for bedding is a bad idea for your own health.
What it costs
The price depends on how many rooms are affected, how many beds and pieces of upholstered furniture need treating, and how long the infestation has been going. A single bedroom caught early is a manageable job. A guest house with several affected rooms needs more time. Two visits are built into every quote.
Call 044 012 5011 or ask us to call you back. If you send a photo of the bug or the spots on the mattress through WhatsApp, we can usually confirm it's bed bugs before we come out.
Frequently asked questions
Why do bed bugs need two treatments?
Bed bug eggs are protected from most treatments. The follow-up, about two weeks later, kills the young that hatch before they're old enough to lay eggs themselves.
Do I need to throw out my mattress?
Usually not. Most mattresses can be treated. Only badly damaged or heavily infested ones need replacing, and we'll tell you if that's the case.
Can I sleep in the room after treatment?
Yes, once the treated surfaces are dry, which is usually a few hours. Keep sleeping in your own bed: the bugs need to come out and cross the treated areas.
How did we get bed bugs?
Almost always from travel, visitors' luggage or second-hand furniture. They hitch a ride in bags and seams and have nothing to do with how clean the house is.
Can bed bugs make us sick?
They aren't known to spread disease, but the bites can be very itchy and cause skin reactions, and a long infestation affects sleep and stress levels.
Does a guest house have to close for treatment?
No. The affected room and the rooms around it are treated and stay empty until dry. The rest of the guest house can usually keep operating.